menopause test
A Menopause Test is not conclusive
Mike JerryAll women will go through menopause at some point during their life. Many women suffering from menopausal symptoms want to know if there is a specific test they can take to tell them when menopause is over. There is a hormone test that a woman can take to measure the presence of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The test just measures the presence of and increase amount of FSH and cannot conclusively state that a woman is menopausal or post-menopausal. If the FSH is very high then it is thought that the woman is currently going through menopause.
What is menopause? Menopause is the exact opposite of puberty. When one shuts down at about 40 years of age at menopause, the other had started at 14 years of age with puberty. 'Menopause' as a word is Greek, meaning 'month' and 'to end'. In medical terms menopause is confirmed when a woman does not get her period for 12 consecutive months.
How do you know you are on the road to menopause?
Puberty will come to all girls between 12 and 14 years of age, and menopause will come to all women starting from 38 years onwards anytime. There are some important milestones on the road to menopause. These come in different order in different women but they will definitely be there.
There will hot flashes whereby a woman will feel like she is on fire without regard to the temperature outside. It could be ice cold outside or sweltering hot, the hot flushes can strike anytime. There will be wild mood swings and irritability coupled or followed by depression bouts. There will also be a general feeling of dryness, itchiness of skin and a sudden rise in appetite. Night sweats will accompany hot flashes where you will experience total drenching in sweat.
None of the above is exactly a menopause test, but it will tell as accurately as any menopause test that it is on its way.
Is there a test called menopause test?
Yes, in fact there is a test called 'menopause test' which will confirm to a medical practitioner that the women has reached the post-menopause stage. By the way, this would be the right time to explain that there is no menopause stage. You have the pre-menopause stage when the ovaries are shutting, but have not exactly finished doing so, and you have the post-menopausal stage where the ovaries have totally pulled down the shutters. There is no other stage in between.
Hence, the menopause test will actually test for the presence of follicle stimulating hormone or the FSH, which is produced by the pituitary gland. The FSH usually increases slightly just before the periods, which actually goads the ovaries to produce eggs. In the test the amount of FSH will be measured and if it is found in very high doses it is an indication that the woman is menopausal. However, this is not a conclusive test.
There are a number of other similar tests which check for the content of hormones in the blood or urine of a woman which when combined together with the external symptoms will give a conclusive deduction. The menopause test is actually a series of tests which together point in the same direction. The medical practitioner who reads the test will be able to tell you whether you are or not going through menopause.
How do you know you are on the road to menopause?
Puberty will come to all girls between 12 and 14 years of age, and menopause will come to all women starting from 38 years onwards anytime. There are some important milestones on the road to menopause. These come in different order in different women but they will definitely be there.
There will hot flashes whereby a woman will feel like she is on fire without regard to the temperature outside. It could be ice cold outside or sweltering hot, the hot flushes can strike anytime. There will be wild mood swings and irritability coupled or followed by depression bouts. There will also be a general feeling of dryness, itchiness of skin and a sudden rise in appetite. Night sweats will accompany hot flashes where you will experience total drenching in sweat.
None of the above is exactly a menopause test, but it will tell as accurately as any menopause test that it is on its way.
Is there a test called menopause test?
Yes, in fact there is a test called 'menopause test' which will confirm to a medical practitioner that the women has reached the post-menopause stage. By the way, this would be the right time to explain that there is no menopause stage. You have the pre-menopause stage when the ovaries are shutting, but have not exactly finished doing so, and you have the post-menopausal stage where the ovaries have totally pulled down the shutters. There is no other stage in between.
Hence, the menopause test will actually test for the presence of follicle stimulating hormone or the FSH, which is produced by the pituitary gland. The FSH usually increases slightly just before the periods, which actually goads the ovaries to produce eggs. In the test the amount of FSH will be measured and if it is found in very high doses it is an indication that the woman is menopausal. However, this is not a conclusive test.
There are a number of other similar tests which check for the content of hormones in the blood or urine of a woman which when combined together with the external symptoms will give a conclusive deduction. The menopause test is actually a series of tests which together point in the same direction. The medical practitioner who reads the test will be able to tell you whether you are or not going through menopause.
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